Anesthesiology Residents

The ACGME recently approved the URMC Anesthesiology Residency Program to expand to a total of 68 residents, including our integrated clinical base year residents (CBY) and three clinical anesthesiology residents (CA1-3). We currently offer 16 categorical PGY-1 positions and 1 advanced PGY-2/CA-1 position in each match cycle

Message from the Chief Residents

Christopher Galton, MD

Unlike many of my colleagues I took the road less traveled to the UR Anesthesiology residency. Fortunately Rochester, NY is a familiar backdrop for me since I was raised here. After getting my first degree at Penn State, and with some time in Lake Tahoe and Pittsburgh in between, I landed in Denver, CO where I was a paramedic for many years before deciding that the USA needed one more physician. Four years and a hundred thousand dollars later(University of Colorado Denver), I found myself starting an anesthesia residency back home at the University of Rochester. Ironically, I was not all that excited to come back to the city of Rochester, but the residency program really stood out during the interview process as a place that people get impressive exposure to a diverse case load while still having enough time to enjoy life outside of work. After nearly finishing all my ACGME case numbers by the end of my CA-1 year, I spent the CA-2 year refining my anesthesia practice and continuing to gain confidence providing anesthesia to complex, critically ill patients. Although I could always say I don't get enough time out on my motorcycles, I am able to find time to be a dad, husband, soccer player and coach, part time paramedic, ice climber, and skier. Now as a chief resident and participant in the clinical education tract, I will be spending my CA-3 year teaching my fellow residents, continuing to refine my anesthesia skill set, and representing this outstanding residency program. To sum this program up, we will train you to be a top notch anesthesiologist that is comfortable with any case load under any circumstance, while ensuring that you have enough time outside of work to never forget who you are and what is truly important to you.

Afzaal Iqbal , MD

Welcome to the University of Rochester’s Anesthesia Program! We've got some great people here and I have no doubt you’ll find a niche no matter where you're from. I was born in NYC, then moved down south to sunny West Palm Beach for a few years before heading abroad to the middle east. I returned to the south for college at Emory in Atlanta, majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, and then flew back up to the northeast for medical school at SUNY Stony Brook. My family currently lives in Rochester so it was an easy choice to come back for residency. Strong Memorial Hospital is a busy place with plenty of high acuity patients that will certainly train you to handle the most challenging situations exceedingly well. You'll notice that we work pretty hard here and your peers will be incredibly competent but they all have active lives outside the hospital - Rochester makes life easy with low cost of living (many residents own homes), a surprisingly varied culinary scene and plenty of well-attended outdoor activities and festivals throughout the year. I'm a sports enthusiast myself and try to stay active whenever I can, either at the gym or out in the field. We have multiple department events that bring us together and I’d say we are all not just colleagues, but great friends. All in all, the people you will work with and the training you will receive are superb bar none - feel free to contact any one of us with your questions. We look forward to meeting the new applicants this season!

Tegan Palma, MD

I was born and raised in Rochester and am very happy to be completing my residency close to family and friends. I went to Dartmouth College where I majored in psychology and brain sciences and filled up my free time practicing and competing on the varsity sailing and figure skating teams. After college I returned to Rochester for medical school and met my husband Chris whom I married just before starting residency. We both wanted to stay in town for residency and were thrilled to couples match into the medicine and anesthesiology programs here. While residency is a busy time Rochester is a great place for recreation and we have managed to spend plenty of time sailing on Lake Ontario, downhill and cross country skiing in the winters, kayaking and fishing on the finger lakes… Along with many of our fellow residents we enjoy touring the local wineries and visiting all of the local festivals including nationally known music fests and arts festivals. Rochester is a great and affordable place to own a home and we have spent countless hours on home projects and I love to cook and garden. We are now expecting our first child in the fall since we decided that life as a resident was just not busy enough – an infant to keep my last 9 months as a resident exciting was just the thing! Luckily the program here is very supportive of families and we will be joining many other residents in the program who manage to juggle family and work with apparent ease. I have felt very supported throughout my time as a resident here and am receiving an excellent clinical education. Rochester residents get exposed to big cases early with appropriate support from senior residents and faculty and by the time CA3 year comes around there is little that we can’t handle independently. I have particularly enjoyed our experiences in regional and ambulatory anesthesia which are standouts in my mind. I am hoping to find a job as a general anesthesiologist in town after graduating next summer.